Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Mahatma
Jyotiba Phule

Ever since the Hindu religion got divided into castes
rigidities and society got divided into low and upper castes, it has increases
the miseries of the low caste people termed as untouchables or Dalits.All doors
of progress, social, economical, educational, cultural were closed for the
Dalits.They were denied the normal human dignities by their own brothers and
sisters, who always looked towards them for all comforts of life but denied
them the same. The Hindus offered milk to snakes; rice with sugar to ants;
worshipped tress like Tulsi, Pipal, and animals like cows but got polluted by
the shadow of a Dalit, who are non-else but the creation of the same God for
whose realization Hindus observe extreme austere like living in lonely forests,
undertake long journeys to 68 places of pilgrimage, observe fasts etc..But God
is great and it sends its messages from time to time to show the masses the
just path of love for all and hate to none.

A similar
personality took birth on 11-4-1827 to revered couple Govindarao and Chimnabai
in village Khanbari of Poona, who was named Jyotiba. He earned the title of
Mahatma and title of Bukar T.Washington (American President and a great leader
against acts of slavery & apartheid).Since

Gobindarao and his
two brothers served as florists under the Pashwas, so they were called
Phules.Chimnabai died when Jyotiba was 9 months old..Gobindrao wanted his son
to get a higher education so as to spread the Gyan Jyoti for the humanity at
large and Dalits in particular. But all relatives of Gobindarao were against
the education of Jyotiba and so Jyotiba was taken out of school after he passed
his primary school at the age of 9 years. Despite this Jyotiba continued
working in fields during day and reading at night by lighting kerosene lamp. On
the insistence of Goffar Beig Munshi ( A Muslim )and Latiz Sahib(AChristian) as
both had great influence on Gobindarao who
got admitted his son in Scottish Mission High School at Poona in
1891.Jyotirao completed his secondary education in 1847 and decided not to
accept any government job but work for the upliftment of downtrodden and
deprived section of society and to spread education among them.

One day when
Jyotibrao accompanied the Barat of his Brahmin friend, but was insulted and
abused by relatives of his friend as how a Dalit dared to take part in Barat(
Marriage Party ) of a Brahmin. After this incident Jyotiba made up his mind to
defy the caste system and decided to serve the shudras and women who were deprived
of all of their human rights under the caste system.Jyotiba was married in 1840
to Savitribai.Savitribai Phule worked as the true disciple and co-missionary of
her husband. They changed the history by opening a school on 1-1-1848 for girls
in Poona where Savitirbai was admitted as first Student along with four Brahmin
girls, one Maratha girl and sixth a shepherd family girl.Jyotirao Phule
continued this school despite opposition from orthodox Hindus, who considered
this act against their religion, as Hindu scriptures considered educating girls
& Dalits as a great sin. Savitirbai received more education at home from
his husband, who appointed her Headmistress of one of his schools. Even parents
of Jyotiba did not co-operated & they turned him along with Savitribai out
of their parental house, when the couple did not agree to desist from their
chosen path. They opened 18 such schools including some having co-education.

Feeling pity
on the condition of orphans Jyotiba Phule opened orphanage, perhaps first such institution by
a Hindu. Jyotiba Phule gave protection to widows & assured them that
orphanage shall take care of their children.
It was in this orphanage that a Brahmin widow gave birth to a male child
in1873 and Jyotirao Phule adopted him as his son naming him Jaswantrao Phule
& educated him to become a qualified doctor. To earn his livelihood &
to run his schools & other institutions he worked as contractor in
PWD. He termed this department as hotbed
of corruption.

He published his controversial book “Slavery,” in 1873 ,in which he
declared his manifesto that he was
willing to dine with all irrespective of
their caste, creed, or country of origin Jyotirao Phule formed “ Satya Shodhak Samaj on 24 th
September 1873 & in 1876 it had 316 members. The main objectives of this
organization were to liberate the Shudras, Ati Shudras & to prevent their
exploitation by the Upper caste Hindus. He refused to regard Vedas as
sacrosanct & denounced Chaturverna & instead published his book “Satya
Dharma Pustak in 1891. According to him
all men & women were equal & entitled to enjoy equal rights & it
was a sin to discriminate between human beings on the basis of sex or caste
& creed Wodow remarriages werw banned and child marriage was very common
amongthe Hindus Society Jyotirao opposed both & worked to benefit them
and got re married one Shayani caste
widow on 8th march 1890 against strong
protests

He
opposed the evil customs so on the death of his father he did not call his
caste people for meal instead he distributed meals in beggars, distributed
pencils, writing wooden planks ( Patties )
& books to children which became annual function to remember his
father. He opposed the tyranny of
landlords & money lenders , so he organized a protest Dharna in Poona
District where farmers joined in large
number 7 burnt the recorde of the money lenders. He got a marriage ceremonised on 25 th December 1873 without
the participation ob any Prohit. In the marriage feast the was only Pan &
Supary nothing else. He edited a weekly
news paper “ DEEN BANDU ,” from 1st January 1877. This became a very popular
paper & Jyotirao Phule varied through it his mission of guiding his fellow
persons against the evils of the society Jyotirao Phule helper getting released
in1881 from jail Lok Manaiya Ganga Dhar Tilk &Goda Adkar who were sentenced
for writing in their papers “ The Kesri & the Maratha ,”
against the policies of the British Govt.

For the
life long service to the Dalits & other deprived section of the society
Jyotirao Phule was awarded the Title Of MAHATAMA. On 19 th May 1888. The function was
attended by degneties like Justice Ranade,
Dr. Bhandarkar , Tukaram Tatiya , Lokhande, Dholey & Bharkar besides .
Jyotirao Phule was addressed by Saya Ji Rao Gaikwardas Bukar T Washington in
his letter to the president of the function.

Jyotirao Phule got his right hand incapacitated in an illness, so he
stated writing with his left hand & wrote a book titled as “ SARIVJANIK
SATYA DHARAM , “ After ceaselessly working for over 63 years Jyotirao Phule
passed away on 28 th November 1890 about 138 days before the birth of Dr. BR Ambedkar another luminary, Father
of free India’s Constitution , & worked lifelong for the emancipation of
Dalits , depressed, week & women
Jyotirao Phule shall be remembered for the centuries to come for the good work he did for the Dalits &
Depressed peoples of society.

The life size statue of Jyotirao Phule was installed in the
compound of Indian Parliament on 3rd of December 2003, near the Statue of Baba
Sahib Bhimrao Ambedkar

Jyotirao Phule said
illiteracy the ill of all ills that lack of education causes lack of intellect
which in turn causes lack of moral
resulting in stagnation promoting
further loss of riches and fortune which caused fall of Shudras. So
ban of education to Shudras caused their all round degradation